Instructional and amusement device

ABSTRACT

An instructional and amusement device is disclosed which, in the preferred embodiment, is in the form of a book of several pages edgewise interconnected to allow the successive turning of pages in a sequential manner. Each page includes a path having a beginning on the page, having a convoluted traversal of the page, and having an end surrounding an aperture in the page. An object having significant magnetic properties is placed at the beginning of the path, and a magnet is placed under the book-like device to thus allow the object to be moved over the path under magnetic attraction between the magnet and the object under the control of a user until the object drops into an aperture in the page and onto the next page. The then exposed page is removed and the process is repeated upon the next page.

United States Patent 11 1 111 3,758,693 1451 Sept. 11, 1973 Ebert [5INSTRUCTIONAL AND AMUSEMENT 1,136,402 12/1968 Great Britain 35 37 DEVICE[76] Inventor: David F. Ebert, 2119 S. 5th St. primary w H. Grieb P 4,Mmneapohs, 55404 Attorney-Jack w. Wicks and Bruce A. Nemer [22] Filed:Nov. 13, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 305,969

[57] ABSTRACT 35/22 An instructional and amusement device is disclosed273/1 M which, in the preferred embodiment, is in the form of [51] Int.Cl. G09!) 19/00 a b k f e l pages t edgewise interconnected to Flew ofSearch 7 8 22 allow the successive turning of pages in a sequential 35manner. Each page includes a path having a beginning 2 36 B on the page,having a convoluted traversal of the page, and having an end surroundingan aperture in the page. Reffiences Clled I An object having significantmagnetic properties is UNITED STATES PATENTS placed at the beginning ofthe path, and a magnet is 2,311,217 2/1943 Emmert 35/22 x Placed underthe device allow the 2,548,043 4/1951 Muhlhauser.... 35/35 E X ject tobe moved over the path under magnetic attrac- 2,956,807 10/1960Luchsinger 273/1 M tion between the magnet and the object under the con-3,114,547 12/1963 Joslyn 273/1 M trol of a user until the object dropsinto an aperture in 3,116,929 H1964 273/l M X the page and onto the nextpage. The then exposed 3,662,077 5 1972 Kersten 35 37 page is removedand the process repeat; upon the FQREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS next PGreat Britain 273/1 M 11 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Sept. 11,1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 11, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Us 'Pia 1INSTRUCTIONAL AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE BACKGROUND This invention relatesgenerally to instructional and amusement devices and more particularlyto instructional and amusement devices using magnetic attraction.

Instructional and amusement devices which may be used to teach memory,may be used to teach motor ability, may be used to teach coordination,may be used to teach symbolic relationships, may be used to develop theimagination, may be used to teach association, may be used to teachdexterity, may be used to teach alphanumeric information, may be used inprogram study, and which are generally amusing are to be desired. Thisinvention provides a device which may be used for any or all of theseends.

SUMMARY A preferred embodiment of the present invention in cludes a bookof edgewise interconnected pages, an object having magnetic properties,and a magnet of sufficient strength to magnetically attract the objectthat all of the pages and of a size which can be manipulated under thebottom surface of the book by the hand of the user. Each of the pagesincludes, in the preferred embodiment, a printed boundary or path ofsufficient width to accommodate the object with the path leading from astarting position on the page and circuitously traversing the page to anin position surrounding an aperture through the page. A user may thenmanipulate the magnet under the book and through magnetic attractionmove the object over the path from its beginning and to the aperture andcause the object to drop through the aperture to the next succeedingpage where it is arranged that the object is received at the beginningof the next path.

Additional arrangements of paths are shown which can indicate a favoredor nonfavored response by including branches leading to or from otherapertures.

It is is thus an object of the present invention to provide a novelinstructional and amusement device.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a devicefor teaching motor ability.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a devicefor teaching coordination.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a devicefor teaching symbolic relationships.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a devicefor developing imagination.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a devicefor developing memory.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a devicefor use in program study.

It is a further object of'the present invention to provide such a deviceto teach dexterity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a deviceto teach alphanumeric information.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a devicewhich is operable through the use of magnetic attraction.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe clearer in the light of the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection withthe drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a bookaccording to the teachings of the present. invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a page of the book of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the book of FIG. I along with a magnet inthe hand of the user and an object manipulated by the user through useof the magnet.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are useful in explaining the interrelationship of adjacentpages.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show additional arrangements and interrelationshipsbetween adjacent pages.

Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same'numeralsdesignate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms right,"left, front, back," vertical, horizontal," bottom," top, and similarterms are used herein it should be understood that these terms havereference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appearto a person viewing the drawings and are utilized only to facilitatedescribing the invention.

DESCRIPTION In FIG. 1, a book-like device, generally designated 10, isshown having a front cover 11 and five sheets or pages, 12, 13, 14, 15,and 16 and a back cover 17. It will be realized that no requirements asto this number of pages nor the existence of a cover is intended. Thesheets are shown as edgewise connected at their left side by a binding18 which may comprise loops of plastic material conventionallyavailable.

Page 12 is seen to include various printing thereon. In particular, apath 20 is shown on page 12 as defined by lines 21 and 22 formingboundaries of sufficient width as to accommodate an object in the formof a model of an automobile, designated 24. Object 24 is of a materialhaving significant magnetic properties, such as soft iron, othermagnetically attracted metal, or a magnet itself. Page 12 also includesvarious directional symbols such as highway signs 26, 28, and 30,depictions of foliage such as 32 and 34, depictions of insects, such as36, depictions of animals, such as cow 40, depictions of a stream 42with a bridge 44 over it, and alphanumeric information such as letters45.

Path 20 on page 12 is arranged to start in the lower lefthand comer ofthe page at a starting point designated 46 and shown in the form of abuilding. Path 20 then winds its way in a circuitous fashion pastdirectional sign 26 and foliage 32, past letters 45, across bridge 44depicted as over stream 42, past signs 28 and 30, past foliage 34, cow40, and insect 36, and to the upper righthand comer of page 12 toterminate in a round aperture 48 in the page.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of book 10 depicting a hand of a user,designated 49, manipulating a magnet 50 beneath book 10 and in magneticattraction with object aperture 48 on page 13 in the same or similarmanner as path 20 of page 12. Page 13 is shown in detail in FIG. 5 toinclude path 20, starting point 46, aperture 48, symbols 51, 52 and 53,foliage designated 54, 55, and 56, a roadside stopping area designated58, animals designated 60, 62, 64, and 66 and alphanumeric informationin the form of letters designated 68.

The remaining FIGS. 6 and 7 show some of the multitude of additionalarrangements or forms which can be taken by path 20 according to thepresent invention. In particular, FIGS. 6 and 7 show path 20, forexample, on page 15 with a provision to allow a favored and nonfavoredresponse to be indicated by the position taken by the object droppingthrough a particular aperture and exposed upon the path of the nextsucceeding page by the removal of the previous page. That is, path 20upon page 15 includes an aperture 48 similar to the arrangement uponpage 12. Path 20 upon page 15 also includes a branch path designated 70and terminating in an aperture 72. Branch path 70 on page 15 is shown asimmediately over an alternate or nonfavored branch path 74 on page 16having a beginning point 76.

OPERATION The manner of operation of the instructional and amusementdevice of the present invention may now be explained. Briefly, a usergrasps magnet 50, for exam-' ple with a hand depicted as 49, and placesthe magnet 50 beneath back cover 17 immediately under a starting pointon a particular page, such as starting point 46 on page 12 shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. Next, object 24 is placed over magnet 50 as within thestructure 46 shown on page 12. By manipulating magnet 50 beneath backcover 17, the object 24 may then be moved over the top surface of page12 under magnetic attraction between the magnet 50 and the object 24under the control of the user. For example, the object 24 may bemanipulated along path 20, as described above, until the object dropsinto the aperture 48 at the end of path 20 of exposed page 12 shown inFIGS. 1-3 to the surface of the next page 13 to thereby position theobject 24 on the next page 13 of the interrelated pages next to sequenceto the exposed page 12. Thus, the previously exposed page 12 may beremoved, as by turning the page, to expose the next page 13. It can nowbe appreciated that object 24 is thus positioned adjacent starting point46 of path 20 of page 13, as shown in FIG. 5.

Object 24 may then be caused to move along path 20 of page 13 bymanipulating magnet 50 under back cover 17 and magnetically attractingobject 24 along path 20 of page 13 in similar fashion to thataccomplished on page 12. Object 24 may thus be moved throughout andalong the top surface of each of the pages of the book under the controlof the user until the last page is reached.

It has further been found that if printing is applied to the reverse ofthe pages, such as page 12 in the Figures, the book may be used inreverse. Further, it has been found that the book as shown may be usedin reverse to traverse from finish to start by hopping the object 24from the aperture 48. That is, it has been found that if the magnet 50is carefully moved away from the aperture, the object 24 may be causedto hop out of aperture 48 and thus may be caused to traverse the path inthe reverse direction.

Further, through use of multi-aperture pages such as page shown in FIG.6, a program learning book can be created where a fabored and nonfaboredresponse can be indicated. For example, a conventional road sign may beprinted at the joinder of branch path .70

and desired path 20 which would direct the user along path 20 and awayfrom path 70, for example a turn signal. In this manner, if the user isacquainted with or learns the meaning of the symbol, i.e., in this casea signal to turn along path 20, the object 24 is manipulated to aperture48 and to starting position 46 on page 16. A legend on page 16, such asa written commendation or a smiling face, or other can indicate to achild or to an adult that the correct decision has been made. If

and some extensions and variations have been ex plained, many furtherextensions and variations will be apparent to one having ordinary skillin the art. For example, while path 20 is shown as printed through theexpedient of lines 21 and 22, it will be immediately apparent to oneskilled in the art that path 20 may be printed by other techniques, suchas by pasting,.spray-.

ing, screening, and the like. As used herein,-printing is deemed ageneric term to all manner of application of path 20 such that asuggested direction of movement is indicated. This suggested directionmay be indicated by a contrast and a border between the path and thesurrounding page or other means.

Also, many types of symbols and other pictures will be envisioned asapplied to particular pages.

Additionally, uses other than those set out above for the device of thepresent invention will be immediately envisioned by those skilled in theart. Some of those uses are books of mere symbols and no text to allowthe child to develop his imagination by storytelling around the varioussymbols and using the device of the present invention as a test for achild having possible difficulties without the usual determinates ofright and wrong. That is, a multichoice path can be created to determinevarious psychological factors without attaching the right and wrong suchthat a child's free disposition may be measured without interferencefrom a preconceived notion as to what is desired from him.

Further, the object 24 may be a metal object or magnet whose externalconfiguration may be changed with the environment appearing on theparticular page along which the object is moved..This may beaccomplished simply by using a magnet for object 24 anda metal disc withdecorations thereupon which may be placed over the magnet and adherethereto by magnetic attraction. In this manner, an easily changeableconfiguration may be achieved.

Thus, since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or generalcharacteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, theembodiments described herein are to be considered in allrespectsillustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to beindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and :all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A book-like instructional and amusement device comprising, incombination: an object formed of a material having significant magneticproperties; a plurality of interrelated sheets with each sheet having atop surface having printing thereon and a bottom surface and with eachsheet having at least one aperture defined therethrough; and a magnet ofsufficient strength to magnetically attract the object through theplurality of sheets and of a size which can be manipulated under thebottom surface of the sheets by the hand of a user for allowing theobject to be moved over the first surface of the sheets under magneticattraction between the magnet and the object under the control of theuser until the object drops into the aperture in an exposed sheet to thesurface of the next sheet to thereby position the object on the sheet ofthe interrelated sheets next in sequence to the exposed sheet and allowthe removal of the previously exposed sheet to expose the next sheet.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sheets are in the form of pages ofa book having a cover and a plurality of pages edgewise interconnectedto allow the successive turning of pages in a sequential manner andwherein at least one aperture on each page is coordinated with theprinting on the next succeeding page.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each page after the first includes adesignated path printed thereon over which the object is intended to bemoved, the path extending from a starting position adjacent the apertureof a previous page and extending to the aperture on the exposed page.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the path is in a form of a printedboundary of sufficient width to accommodate the object.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein each page includes at least twoapertures coordinated with the path on the next succeeding page in amanner to allow a favored and nonfavored response to be indicated by theposition taken by the object dropping through a particular aperture andexposed upon the path of the next succeeding page by the removal of theprevious page.

6. The device of claim 5, including a multi-choiced path and includingsymbols coordinated with the path to designate a direction to be takenat each point of choice on the path.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each sheet after the first includes adesignated path printed thereon over which the object is intended to bemoved, the path extending from a starting position adjacent the apertureof a previous sheet and extending to the aperture on the sheet.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the path is in a form of a printedboundary of sufficient width to accommodate the object.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein each sheet includes at least twoapertures coordinated with the path on the next succeeding sheet in amanner to allow a favored and nonfavored response to be indicated by theposition taken by the object dropping through a particular aperture andexposed upon the path of the next succeeding sheet by the removal of theprevious sheet.

10. The device of claim 1, including a multi-choiced path and includingsymbols coordinated with the path to designate a direction to be takenat each point of choice on the path.

11. Thedevice of claim 1, including a path in the form of a printedboundary of sufficient width to accommodate the object.

NITED iSTATES fP ATENT OFF E I ZELQAEE-9229 5322212 1 Patent No.3,758,593 my I Se ptemb er ll l973 It;i S certifiedtfieterrorapealrsinthe aboveidentified patent andthateaidfllettersPatent' erefhereby. corrected as Hshownybelowi f 3 1 IColumn 3, last line delete ;"fabor'ed{' and substitutesubstltutetherefor --,nonfavored:-.- Y I Column f6,;c1aiI ri 5,-linepf3ydelete "th e" .-('se'cond occurrence) andsubstitutetherefor}r-ra -wmline-7 delete "the" (second occurrence) -and"'rs'ub sti'tuteQtherefor--a-;claim 9, lines 23 and 24*; \de'lete} Ffhe neiEffiand substitute.therefor a"nextandflin e,27,-;;flde'le1:ef'thenext' ana,substitutetherefor --j-ea*'ne xt1-'- 1 1 i therefor "favored-F same@linep delete ;f'rio'niabored, and

Signed an se 1d tri 1531;,fqsi pjofJanq y 197A,

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCEEBJRQ f iRENE P. T- G MEYER Attesting; Offi-cer flif coiss on r mw

1. A book-like instructional and amusement device comprising, incombination: an object formed of a material having significant magneticproperties; a plurality of interrelated sheets with each sheet having atop surface having printing thereon and a bottom surface and with eachsheet having at least one aperture defined therethrough; and a magnet ofsufficient strength to magnetically attract the object through theplurality of sheets and of a size which can be manipulated under thebottom surface of the sheets by the hand of a user for allowing theobject to be moved over the first surface of the sheets under magneticattraction between the magnet and the object under the control of theuser until the object drops into the aperture in an exposed sheet to thesurface of the next sheet to thereby position the object on the sheet ofthe interrelated sheets next in sequence to the exposed sheet and allowthe removal of The previously exposed sheet to expose the next sheet. 2.The device of claim 1, wherein the sheets are in the form of pages of abook having a cover and a plurality of pages edgewise interconnected toallow the successive turning of pages in a sequential manner and whereinat least one aperture on each page is coordinated with the printing onthe next succeeding page.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein each pageafter the first includes a designated path printed thereon over whichthe object is intended to be moved, the path extending from a startingposition adjacent the aperture of a previous page and extending to theaperture on the exposed page.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the pathis in a form of a printed boundary of sufficient width to accommodatethe object.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein each page includes atleast two apertures coordinated with the path on the next succeedingpage in a manner to allow a favored and nonfavored response to beindicated by the position taken by the object dropping through aparticular aperture and exposed upon the path of the next succeedingpage by the removal of the previous page.
 6. The device of claim 5,including a multi-choiced path and including symbols coordinated withthe path to designate a direction to be taken at each point of choice onthe path.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein each sheet after the firstincludes a designated path printed thereon over which the object isintended to be moved, the path extending from a starting positionadjacent the aperture of a previous sheet and extending to the apertureon the sheet.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the path is in a form ofa printed boundary of sufficient width to accommodate the object.
 9. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein each sheet includes at least two aperturescoordinated with the path on the next succeeding sheet in a manner toallow a favored and nonfavored response to be indicated by the positiontaken by the object dropping through a particular aperture and exposedupon the path of the next succeeding sheet by the removal of theprevious sheet.
 10. The device of claim 1, including a multi-choicedpath and including symbols coordinated with the path to designate adirection to be taken at each point of choice on the path.
 11. Thedevice of claim 1, including a path in the form of a printed boundary ofsufficient width to accommodate the object.